The odd dwarf planet Quaoar might have a brand-new moon. Observations of the tiny world, made by a pair of astronomers in California, suggest it possesses either a second satellite or a third ring.
Quaoar and our solar system’s other dwarf planets are generally so far away that they are a challenge to view directly from Earth. (An exception is Ceres, which lies in the main asteroid belt…
Small black holes are surprisingly messy eaters, Japanese spacecraft discovers: 'Being surprised is good'
September 10, 2025
Small black holes making a meal out of companion stars are surprisingly messy eaters, astronomers using a Japanese space telescope have discovered.
Scientists have known for some time that when supermassive black holes — those with masses millions or billions of times that…
Moon blocks satellite views of the sun before lunar eclipse | Space photo of the day for Sept. 9, 2025
September 10, 2025
In early September 2025, skywatchers in parts of the Eastern Hemisphere were treated to a total lunar eclipse as Earth blocked the sun’s light from the moon. The eclipse occurred in the evening of Sept. 7 as the moon slipped into shadow and transformed into the…
Ready for the next 'Oumuamua? Launching flyby missions to visiting interstellar comets is 'feasible and affordable,' study says
September 10, 2025
We have the means today to fly a spacecraft by an interstellar object visiting our solar system, a new study concludes — and we could have done it already with comet 3I/ATLAS.
Flyby reconnaissance of interstellar objects is “feasible and affordable,” scientists with the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI), who led the study, said in a statement on Wednesday (Sept. 3).
“The…
Does the nearby exoplanet TRAPPIST-1e support life? New James Webb Space Telescope data could help us find out
September 9, 2025
Astronomers have investigated the atmosphere and potential habitability of a famous “Goldilocks zone” planet using NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
The planet in question is TRAPPIST-1e, an Earth-sized rocky exoplanet that’s located…
1st known interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua is an 'exo-Pluto' — a completely new class of object, scientists say
September 9, 2025
The first interstellar object to visit the solar system may have been a fragment of an icy exoplanet, research suggests.
When 1I/’Oumuamua was first spotted in 2017, astronomers quickly determined that it came from outside the solar system. But although it was…
Blood moon wows skywatchers worldwide: Best photos of the September 2025 total lunar eclipse
September 9, 2025
A total lunar eclipse delighted stargazers overnight on Sept. 7-8 with a spectacular display of orbital mechanics that briefly turned Earth’s natural satellite blood red.
This week’s total lunar eclipse graced the night sky as Earth drifted between the moon and sun, veiling the lunar disk in its umbral silhouette. As the moon slipped into the deepest part of our planet’s shadow…
It’s a scene that could evoke popular fantasy stories, with sparkling stars shining above misty mountaintops, but the James Webb Space Telescope image you see above is of a very real part of our universe. It shows peaks jutting up from a vast nebula that sits about…
What time is today's blood moon total lunar eclipse?
September 8, 2025
A total lunar eclipse will occur overnight on Sunday (Sept. 7) into the early hours of Monday (Sept. 8), creating a striking red ‘blood moon’ for skywatchers across Asia, Western Australia and Europe.
The September lunar eclipse will reach its maximum phase, when…
'The turtles and the nudists will have to migrate': SpaceX plan for Starship launches from Florida sparks debate among Space Coast residents
September 8, 2025
The people have spoken about SpaceX’s plans to launch its Super Heavy Starship from Florida — and they have a lot to say.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has concluded a series of public meetings as part of its draft environmental impact statement (EIS) process for approving Starship liftoffs from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Florida’s Space Coast.
The…
